How to obtain critically important online reviews

Customer tell you they’re thrilled with your service. You ask them to provide you an online review. They say they will. They don’t.

How often does this happen to you?

If you’re like most small businesses this happens more often you care to admit. If you’re cracked this nut, please share and let us all know how.

For the rest of you, below are a list of key factors for obtaining online reviews:

Step 1: Don’t JUST ask

After you provide your products or complete your services for customers and they’re satisfied, let them know where they can write an online review.

You should go so far as to create a document you give them that walks them through the review process. I suggest creating one for Yelp and another one for Google My Business.

Follow up

Following up is best done over the phone. Don’t be afraid to call your customers a few times. Everyone is busy these days and sometimes just need a reminder or two to follow through.

Make it easy

Nobody wants to have to go searching for a way to leave a review. Your best bet is to give your customers a way to do so that takes five minutes or less.

Taking the written instructions idea one step further, publish your How To documents to your website and email your customers with a link to the document.

Google is a great place to have reviews. Pulling up Google Maps is an easy way for people to post reviews. All they have to do is search your business and scroll to the “rate and review” section.

There are a lot of ways to leave business reviews online, but it isn’t always easy to get them from even the customers who are absolutely thrilled with your services.

You won’t receive a review from every person you follow up with and it takes time to follow. However, it’s worth it. When potential customers see reviews that say how outstanding your products, services and employees are, it DOES influence their decision.

And, of course, you want to provide the best services so that you have happy customers who are willing to help you out by leaving a review.

For instance, as an exterior painting company we offer the best quality paint and treat our customers the way we treat our favorite relatives, so they are not only happy with the work we do, but with their overall experience.